Does anyone knows about the new Melco s100 switch?
Interesting is a competing product in the similar price range than the Ansuz in it’s base form, finally Melco also…
@Richard.Dane - perhaps an idea to integrate this post in the running post on Ethernet cables and switches…
I don’t think it’s for those who already use Melco servers direct Naim Streamers… it’s for pc or nas and those who use Tidal
And for those with more money than sense, and possibly ‘gullible’ tattooed on their forehead. I may be wrong of course, but one senses a fast buck being made.
here some informations from Hifi Pig. The goal is to isolate completely from the network issues. Melco are also connected to the network, not only directly to the streamer.
The S100’s internal packet-traffic settings have been optimised for use with IT NAS drives, IT routers (for streaming services), Roon Core processor devices, Roon Bridges, and, of course, Melco’s N1, N10, N100 digital music libraries. The S100 features the same vibration-isolating aluminium-chassis construction and form factor as seen in Melco’s N10 series.
High End Digital
Digital music relies on perfectly timed data in a low-noise environment. Therefore, the limitation for sound quality on an Ethernet network is the network itself, plus the components used. Standard IT parts are designed to be low cost and effective for PC data and gaming etc.
High-end managed enterprise switches can, with some expert knowledge, be optimised for audio data, but even with the addition of separate power supplies, there are limitations. Melco’s S100 has been designed and manufactured purely for audio by an engineering team, led by Mr. Hayashi.
Alan Ainslie, Melco Audio’s General Manager said, “With the acclaimed Melco N1 series, we eliminated the data switch from the data path (server to player) and lifted sound quality hugely. But it was still clear that the rest of the network was having an effect. It was, perhaps, less obvious on lesser systems, but as soon as we fixed everything else, it remained a nagging problem.
Work started to analyse exactly what was going on and the resulting S100 resolves those final nagging sound quality issues. Crucially, while the S100 is clearly befit for Melco owners who use the PLAYER Ethernet port, the difference an S100 can bring to non-Melco systems is quite surprising, especially for the heavy traffic created in a Roon environment, as well as for streaming services such as TIDAL and Qobuz, where the data has been seriously compromised on its journey from the distant servers into the user’s home. The S100 restores the magic of the source stream as no IT device can possibly do.’’
Features
10 ports: 4 100MbE ports with RJ45; 4 1GbE ports with RJ45; 2 SFP optical fibre ports
Audio-specific main board with 1.5MB packet buffer
Powerful main board processor with audio-grade capacitor bank
Low-noise highly precise data-handling
Internal packet traffic settings already optimised for a range of NAS drives, not just Melco
LED disabling feature reduces noise
Robust vibration-isolating construction to complement Melco’s N10 series
i see 2 SFP optical fiber ports. I would not be surprised if next melco nas will have sfp ports too. And maybe next naim streamers…
Oh dear…
which means ? my god?
It’s a bull.
in 3 or 4 years, the nd555 will be broken 
buffalo bill?
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So 
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I got a badge for that. First use of an Emoji. Peder will be pleased!
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buffalo bull perhaps
Biiiigggggg Melco fan…N1Z/2 in combination with N272, Melco in direct mode… maybe the optimum solution for using Melco in network mode!!
The new Melco S100 switch is priced at £2,000 in the UK. The product description tells us it has a buffer, for streaming including tidal/Qobuz, Internet Radio and Roon (Roon end-point capability is a pending upgrade for Melco). The reason for the buffer (IMHO) is to stabilise these streams for Melco products, since Naim’s new streamers have this capability built in.
I have a Melco N1ZH/2 that I mainly use as a music library / player direct to DAC. For streaming and Multiroom convenience during the day I mostly use my ND5 XS2 (digital out to DAC and to Qb2) as the Melco does suffer some dropouts on Internet Radio such as Radio Paradise FLAC and JB Radio 2 FLAC, especially in the evenings (UK time).
The sound quality and dynamic range from the Melco is a small step up from the ND5 XS2 when the streaming is stable. This variance can be influenced by different interconnects.
As I don’t have a large music library, and my listening is evolving (thank you Roon and RP) I am thinking of moving to a NDX2 and a Roon Nucleus instead (my Roon Core is currently a laptop that I use for work) of this configuration, while retaining my Hugo TT2 DAC/pre that I also use to drive my passive speakers directly as well as a second system via BJC analogue RCA in the next room.
If you stream more radio or qobuz vs local library, I agree that the Melco is not ideal to have. Better take the ndx2.
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